Results 4,861-4,880 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Data (17 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 285 and 286 together. As the Deputy has not stipulated the period of time for which this information is required, I have taken 2017 as the year in question and I can confirm that the number of persons employed in the Department of Children and Youth Affairs through external recruitment agencies in 2017 is 'Nil'. With regard to the four agencies under the aegis...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Contracts Data (17 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: In relation to my Department, I can confirm that the costs for work contracted out to external agencies and/or consultancy in 2017 is as follows: Company Name Subject Cost in 2017 Carr Communications Staff Development and Training €1,450.00 Institute of Public Administration Staff Development and Training €4,349.99 TF Coaching, Training & Development Solutions Staff...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Counselling Services Provision (16 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: In 1994 the Department of Social Welfare opened a grant scheme to provide counselling supports to children who had experienced bereavement or loss. This grant scheme then passed to the Family Support Agency (FSA) when it was established in 2003 and subsequently to Tusla on establishment in January 2014. Up until 2011 applications were invited through an annual public advertisement,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Attendance Data (16 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla does not collate or analyse school attendance data at the level requested by the Deputy hence it is unable to provide the detail requested. Data at county level is available in the annual attendance returns which may be accessed on the Tusla website. Providing details at county level has been the agreed methodology for presenting school attendance data for over a decade. The purpose...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (16 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Upon receiving the Second Interim Report from the Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) I sought the advice of the Attorney General with regard to any legal considerations for the Government in relation to its publication.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Inter-Country Adoptions (16 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Adoption Authority of Ireland has responsibility for implementing the Adoption Act 2010, including Ireland's responsibilities under the Hague Convention in relation to inter-country adoption. As Haiti has ratified the Hague Convention inter country adoption from Haiti is a matter between Central Authorities. The Authority must now determine how to progress this matter Haiti ratified the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (16 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: On the matter of “Rules on Exemption”, exceptions to the upper age limit can be granted in circumstances where the child has been assessed by the HSE or a treating consultant as having special needs which should delay their entry into primary school. Such applications are submitted in writing to the DCYA and are assessed on a case by case basis. On the matter of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Freedom of Information Requests (16 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: My Department has no record of having received the FOI request to which the Deputy refers.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care Supports (16 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I have been informed by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, that at this time all Tusla Children’s Residential Centres in the West are under review to determine how the needs of the young people in the region may be best met. I am advised that consideration is being given to the demands on each service and ensuring that each Centre’s purpose and function fits with the overall...

Other Questions: Child Care Services Staff (11 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: First, it is good to hear all of these passionate arguments in respect of the issues under discussion. That helps me in my job in regard to this issue, so I thank Deputies for that. Second, if I heard Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan correctly, she suggested that the Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs may take this up as an issue and bring some suggestions or recommendations to me. I...

Other Questions: Child Care Services Staff (11 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I appreciate the Deputy's figures and would be happy to show them to my Department so that they can be fed into our analysis. The Department, Pobal and county and city child care committees are working intensely with these community services and engaging directly with any that is impacted negatively by the change in ratios. Moneys are being made available in 2017 to ensure the...

Other Questions: Child Care Services Staff (11 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I want to be perfectly clear. I understand what the Deputies are saying and I understand the concerns and realities facing community child care. I have been identifying a number of actions, which the Department and county and city child care committees have taken. They are engaging. These actions are not enough, though, and we are considering additional actions. I have identified some....

Other Questions: Child Care Services (11 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Let me be perfectly clear on this issue. From 2017, the majority of eligible families will benefit from significantly increased subsidisation of child care costs. From September, the promise of a subsidy for children under the age of 36 months will be kept. Families with one or more children under the age of three years who wish to use regulated child care services will be able to avail of...

Other Questions: Child Care Services (11 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I and my officials have deep concerns about community child care services, especially those which employ community employment workers. The Department has put in place a number of actions and supports for particular services that are finding their sustainability challenged. I hope these supports, which will be available in 2017 and 2018, will effectively assist all the services as they...

Other Questions: Child Care Services Staff (11 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11, 20 and 21 together. Community child care facilities are important partners in the delivery of affordable, accessible and high-quality child care. The majority of community child care services are operating well and have been able to manage issues they face within the structures available, including by availing of support from county and city child...

Other Questions: Social Workers Recruitment (11 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am deeply concerned about this issue, as is the Deputy, and I am aware of the figures he is citing. In addition to what I have already said, I have provided Tusla with the necessary funding to recruit additional staff in 2017 - an increase of €37 million in 2017 alone - building on significant funding increases in previous years. In addition to what I have already said about my...

Other Questions: Social Workers Recruitment (11 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: We are working on a protocol regarding mental health with the Department of Health and Tusla. We successfully negotiated a protocol of working together with the HSE and Tusla on disability services and this is what the group that gathered to do that is doing and focusing on now. To respond to Deputy Ó Laoghaire, it is clearly not just a matter of money - I acknowledge that. I am...

Other Questions: Child Care Services (11 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I recently announced a range of measures that will be introduced this September to make child care more affordable for thousands of families throughout Ireland. This honours a key commitment in the programme for Government. I am putting in place measures to ensure that parents of up to 70,000 children due to benefit under the affordable child care scheme will be given the opportunity to...

Other Questions: Youth Services Funding (11 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am pleased to say that we are now funding a number of new projects as well as existing ones. This past year, since I became Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, is the first in over a decade in which new projects are being funded. Funding for youth services had decreased, as the Deputy indicated, by €10.4 million between 2011 and 2015. In recent weeks, I approved...

Other Questions: Youth Services Funding (11 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I agree with everything the Deputy has identified. To emphasise a couple of matters, the mapping exercise is critical in terms of ensuring that we are able to meet the needs of young people throughout the country in an equitable way because there are gaps. The exercise has highlighted areas throughout Ireland - particularly rural areas - with little or no youth service provision. It is my...